Trailer Research

500 Days of summer

The Expendables

EDITING

The cuts remain fast throughout the trailer so that the action is emphasized of plot, which is told mostly when the titles cut over scenes to explain the loose story of the film. The trailer uses a combination of cuts for regular edits and fades to indicate changes in time/action

SOUND

A Voice-over initially explains back story of the film, but stops to make way for the tense action and character exposition. The original music piece "the expendables" is played through the latter half of the trailer.

MISE EN SCENE

The trailer makes heavy use of firearms and military costume to create an emphasis on the soldier/warrior image, the use of motorcycles promotes the typical manly hero, as do the tattoos on the main characters. There are also many big explosions, which are a staple of action films.
 

CAMERA

The trailer uses group shots to demonstrate the comradely between characters, long shots used to show scale of action, close ups to give exposition to all the big name stars and makes occasional use of tracking shots when characters are on the move.

 

LIGHTING AND COLOUR

The trailer splits the plot into day and night scenes, scenes that reveal story are shot in daylight and action scenes are filmed in the night. Black is prevalent throughout the trailer as costume and setting.

NARRATIVE
The story starts with the characters' backstory of them doing what they do best, showing their prowess and cockyness towards the job, then the scene shifts to show the actual plot, and location, taking place on a tropical island contrasted to their usual locale. then plot gives way to bullets and explosions.
 

CHARACTERS
The film has an all star cast of classic Action Film veterans, and the trailer takes full advantage of this. within the short time it introduces all of the principle cast as well as a few cameos, and relies heavily on the star power to sell the film to it's audience.

EDITING

The trailer starts with one long scene, after which the scenes start getting much faster to the climax, and slow down towards the very end of the trailer. Titles are used throughout the trailer to refer to which of the ‘500’ days that scene takes place in, explaining the title.

NARRATIVE

The trailer uses mock archive footage in the form of home videos to show the back story of the main characters.

SOUND

A voice-over explains the story at the beginning of the film. Other than this many songs are heard from the film’s soundtrack; the music plays an important role in the film and the trailer shows this. Importantly The Smiths are heard through ear phones and serves as an important plot point.

CAMERA

The scenes make generous use of group shots involving the two characters, to show their involvement with each other, and use of close ups to display their feelings, normally the emotional tension between them.

MISE EN SCENE

There are various scenes of alcohol being held by the characters, indicating the adult nature of the relationship and the plot as a whole. There is also some use of the male character's Walkman, again showing the importance of music to the film. The locations are a mix of indoor and outdoor shots with the main setting seeming to be around the office where they work indicative of the  typical “office romance” story

LIGHTING AND COLOUR

The trailer depicts mostly light scenes from the film, indicating that it is a feel good film, this is misdirection by the trailer, but it keeps the secret reveal away from the unknowing public until they go to see the film.

CHARACTERS

The trailer opens with the two main characters, and instantly their mutual attraction is played up. The trailer then creates an emotional link to the characters by showing the footage of them as children and the audience wants to see the characters’ happy ending.